The voices of children in same-sex households should not be ignored

I will agree with the anti-gay right about one thing (don't pass out) regarding the argument over marriage equality. Part of it is about the children. What bothers me to the highest level is how they seem to always frame the actuality of same-sex families as an untested hypothetical. The fact of the matter is that with or without the right to marry, same-sex couples raising children exist. They have existed before all of our attention was turned towards marriage equality and will continue to exist should the lgbt community lose this battle. But we will not lose.

 The one thing I want to emphasize in this post are in fact the children. Children who are in same-sex families. Not some religious right talking head spinning tales of woe, but actual boys and girls talking about their families. Their voices need to be heard.

The video above is of Riley Hackford-Peer at a recent rally for marriage equality in Utah. Listen to him. Does this sound like a damaged child to you?

Kirk Cameron wins the award for the tackiest anti-gay Grammy outrage statement

Kirk Cameron

I've believed for quite a while that the lgbt community must be careful not to have our desire for fairness and equality be portrayed as being the opposite of religious beliefs.

Not only do many lgbts consider themselves people of faith, but there are also many heterosexual people of faith who correctly do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. And if I can take the argument further than that, the lgbt community can live in harmony with those who do believe that homosexuality in fact is a sin even when demanding and receiving equality treatment under the law.

The problem lies in the fact that there is a number of organizations and spokespeople who exploit the fears, egos, and beliefs of those do regard homosexuality as a sin. These instigators, if you will, spread the false message that since homosexuality is a sin, then naturally almost everything negative about lgbts can be believed, from the false notion that we recruit children to the ridiculous idea that we actually want to put Christians in jail.

The goal of these anti-gay groups and spokespeople is not to uphold Christian values, but to build their reputations and gain access to money and power on the backs of naivety. Christianity is merely a prop for them to attain this goal.

A perfect example of this is none other than former child actor and now "born-again Christian" Kirk Cameron.

Recently, Cameron became one of the many anti-gay spokespeople to register outrage at the recent Grammy performance of artists Macklemore & Lewis in which 33 couples - both opposite and same-sex - were wed onstage.

But Cameron's statement was rather odd. According to the Huffington Post, he made the following statement on his facebook page:

 In the post -- which has since been deleted from his Facebook but saved in a screen grab by The Wrap -- Cameron wrote, in part:

How did you like the Grammy's all out assault on the traditional family? As a husband and father, I am proud to announce the release of my new family movie, MERCY RULE. Last night, the lines were drawn thick and dark. Now more than ever, we must work together to create the world we want for our children. I'm hoping that just as Fireproof restored marriages, MERCY RULE will strengthen families.

The Huffington Post points out:

The post was, undoubtedly, a means of self-promotion for the 43-year-old's newest flick, "Mercy Rule," which co-stars his wife and is apparently about "family, faith and baseball." Self-promotion drenched in homophobia, that is.

More like drenched in homophobia and extreme tackiness.

Since when is being tacky a Christian value?

'Another anti-Christian victimization story turns out to be a lie' and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Another Religious Right Tale Of Anti-Christian Victimization Gets Thoroughly Debunked - If Fox News's Todd Starnes worked for a legitimate publication and made the same errors he is making now, he would be run out of the business and wouldn't be able to get work even in making copies in a company specializing in creating wedding invitations.

In video to Utah anti-equality rally, Robert Oscar López again equates adoptive parents with slave owners - Robert Oscar Lopez continues his sad war against same-sex families.

Amended same-sex marriage ban advances to Indiana Senate - All together now . . . booooo! hiss! 

NOM Attacks Obamas For Inviting Gay Athlete Jason Collins To State Of The Union - Simply ridiculous!

Beyonce and Satan? Anti-gay criticism of Grammy awards reaches silly low

While watching various anti-gay groups and spokespeople criticize Sunday's Grammy awards for the mass same-sex marriages, it's interesting to watch them jockey for position in terms of how "shocked and angry" they are.

But I think by a wide mile, the following bizarre comments by the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer should win some type of award. Just don't let Jay-Z know what he said about Beyonce:

Illinois Bishop compares anti-gay exorcism to punishing disobedient children

When Illinois made marriage equality legal last year, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois took it upon himself to perform what he called a "minor" exorcism on the state. In this clip, he explains why he did such an action.

If you ask me, he really should have kept him mouth shut. It begins as semi-comical combined with a little insulting then moves to extremely insulting at the end when he explains how what he did wasn't hatred, but "love," such as the love of parents who punish their children. It reminds me of that scene in The Color Purple when one character's father tells him why it is necessary to physically abuse his wife.  I guess that's the only good thing about this clip. Paprocki totally dismantles the phony "I am opposing lgbt equality because I love them and want them to stop their 'behavior'" fallacy.

He comes across as self-righteous, ignorant, and highly deluded, which are common traits many who push that fallacy share.

 Hat tip to Right Wing Watch.

'Utah rally pushing anti-gay image regarding gays & children' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

The good news is that the longer those who oppose marriage equality push such nasty images (particularly in light of the fact that many children are being raised by gays and lesbians), the speedier they are hurtling themselves to the demise of their argument. The bad news is that they push such a vile image in the first place. More on this via Jeremy Hooper from Goodasyou.org

In other news:

Fischer: Performing Gay Marriages At The Grammys Was An 'Abomination' Because Same-Sex Parenting Is 'A Form Of Child Abuse' - Keep talking, Bryan. Keep talking.

Binyavanga Wainaina, Gay Kenyan Author, Hopes To Boost LGBT Rights With Coming Out - I commend this author. He is brave, bigtime. 

 Indian Supreme Court Refuses To Reconsider Lifting Ban On Gay Sex - Well #@!^

Clerk defending Nevada's marriage equality ban changes his mind

Here is something interesting out of Nevada. A clerk defending the state's ban on marriage equality has changed his mind:

One of the people defending Nevada’s same-sex marriage ban, Carson City Clerk Alan Glover, has filed a letter with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to withdraw his brief in defense of the law. The filing notes that he’s no longer opposed to the same-sex couples’ position in the case. He’s intending to file a notice of “non-opposition” with the appeals court.

According to his letter, the change in position is based on the Ninth Circuit’s recently-decided case, SmithKline Beecham v. Abbott Laboratories, in which the court held that a heightened form of judicial scrutiny applies to cases in which same-sex couples allege discrimination. 

Because the court now considers sexual orientation to be a “quasi-suspect” classification warranting more judicial scrutiny, the letter suggests, the clerk is less concerned about the broad reach of any eventual decision: it would be tied to sexual orientation claims and wouldn’t reach polygamy claims.

The Nevada ban is still being defended by Governor Sandoval, through the state attorney general’s office, along with the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage.

Saturday Night Live skewers Sochi just in time for Olympic games

When  I saw this SNL Weekend Update moment on the Sochi Olympics, I felt kinda guilty because I laughed my ass off. However, in lieu of recent derogatory comments made by the mayor of Sochi regarding gays not being in his town (and a reader who reminded me of the SNL Weekend Update moment), I figured what the hell:

'Right-wing media throw hissy fit over marriages at Grammy awards' and other Monday midday news briefs

Right-Wing Media Freak Out Over Same-Sex Marriages At The Grammys - Another bit of proof that the performance was a smashing success. Just one of the comments:

Doesn't Fox News's Todd Starnes remind you of a stereotypically sexually repressed character from a 1970s motion picture who would get caught in an unusually compromising situation at the ending?

Kansas And South Dakota Consider ‘Licenses To Discriminate’ Against Same-Sex Couples - It will ultimately fail in the courts (I hope) but until then, these laws promises to cause the lgbt community a lot of trouble.

 Jason Collins to attend State of the Union - Sweeeet! Now can some basketball team please employ this young man.  

This week: Two state marriage rallies to feature extreme speakers - And they swear they don't know why they are losing.

 Sochi Mayor Says There Are No Gay People In His City - Translation - "boy does my city suck. why is the Lord punishing me by sticking me in this boring place."

Macklemore & Lewis's Grammy performance inspires our children

Without question, the most memorable moment last night at the Grammys was Macklemore & Lewis's performance of "Same Love" (accompanied by Mary Lambert, Queen Latifah, and Madonna) when 34 gay and heterosexual couples were married. Never mind what the anti-gay right will say. Their outrage is predictable.

But some folks on our side have whined about "publicity stunts" and such. I say "hush up already." Now usually, I'm one for condemning the seemingly mixture of lgbt culture and the fascination with celebrity.

However in this case, I am making a huge exception. For all of the possibly justifiable faults, the one thing which stands out for me about this performance is its potential.  In many places in America and the world, some lgbt child watched that performance and probably realized that in spite of all of the lies, ugly words and hate he/she has to endure from some people, the happy ending of love with that special someone is still possible.

You would be surprised how that one thing, which may seem insignificant in the face of all of the whining about a "publicity stunt," is probably the most powerful and enduring thing of all.

Editor's note - just in case the above video gets pulled from youtube, see it here on Buzzfeed.

'How I nearly quit blogging today but changed my mind' and other Friday midday news briefs

After over seven years of blogging, I finally ran into a post which made me contemplate chucking the entire thing: 

C-SPAN becomes latest outlet to give Tony Perkins an undeserved, egregious pass - From my blogging pal Jeremy Hooper came this post about how Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council was able to appear on C-SPAN, give the visage of innocence, and swear (without the courtesy of lightning striking) how organizations like his doesn't engage in "inciting rhetoric." And boom! An epiphany struck me square in the heart. What in the hell have I been doing these seven and a half years. I'm 43-years-old and feel like I have been digging in a desert because sometimes it seems that my efforts to address anti-gay propaganda is doing no good. I don't do this stuff for free. I do it because it's a way that I feel that I can contribute to the lgbt community - in tribute to those who have been hurt by these lies in the past and in pursuit of a future in which our lgbt children can make good choices about their lies unencumbered with folks setting land mines on their self-esteem. It's not enough for me to blog about any old thing. I have to be accomplishing something, putting something down that the entire lgbt community can use. And I swear sometimes I feel like I am getting absolutely NOWHERE when folks like Perkins can get away with stuff like this.

 I appreciate my readers and those who support me but it's a DRAG when I realize how those who have more power to address the issue of anti-gay propaganda DO NOT address the issue. But then we get caught up in issues like should Tom Daily and Dustin Lance Black should be dating. Sorry but I could care less who is dating who. But I do care when someone in my church repeats a lie that a pro-gay law will lead to pedophilia because a "Christian spokesman" on a news program said so. And sometimes I feel like the master of a dead art because very few people in our community seem to be interested in studying how these anti-gay groups operate  instead of simply calling them "bigots" and making lewd comments about their body parts on Facebook.

So I was going to pull the Yoda trick from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and retire in seclusion, hoping that one day someone would get where I was coming from. But then I remembered that a family trait of mine is a certain stubbornness in that we never like to stop a task before we finish it. In plain English, it would stick in my craw if I were to stop now before I could get to the point where I am satisfied enough to say "I've done my duty." So I decided that I will do something probably fruitless but spiritually satisfying (keep reading below):

How They See Us: Unmasking the Religious Right War on Gay America - This link will take you to the exact adobe acrobat copy of my booklet. NOT a webpage that will allow you to read it or download it but the copy of the booklet itself. I've been pushing this booklet for over a year now so many of you are probably tired of it, but it's important. Years from now when it's all said and done, people are going to want to know the real story of lgbt equality, as well as anti-gay propaganda and oppression. Who knows? Maybe this book can give them the answer. At any rate, if you haven't read it yet, now you don't have to go through so many changes to read it. And if you have read it, you can email it to others, maybe perhaps some legislators (hint, hint.)

In other news (if I haven't driven you nuts already):

Focus On The Family: Nondiscrimination Protections Discriminate Against Christians - Yes it doesn't make sense but this IS Focus on the Family we are talking about.

How To Write About Transgender People - A lesson we ALL need to learn.

Sabrina Franco, 4 Year Old, Pens Letter Asking Australian Prime Minister To Legalize Gay Marriage - On the subject of marriage equality, the children seem to always make more sense than the adults.

Jon Stewart presents . . .The 2014 Sochi Homophobic Olympics

How in the world did I miss this? Jon Stewart calls out worldwide homophobia in relation to the upcoming Sochi Games as only he can in his irrepressible style.

NOM's Brian Brown wants to impeach VA attorney general for support of marriage equality

I'm such a bad boy for enjoying this but I can't help myself.

One of the delights of the recent announcement of VA's Attorney General Mark Herring's recent announcement that he will be fighting against the state's ban on marriage equality is the reaction of anti-gay groups.

Particularly the National Organization for Marriage, whose president, Brian Brown, threw a hissy fit and called for Herring's impeachment:

Virginia gives Brian Brown something to weep about.

"The Attorney General swore an oath that he would 'support...the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia' and faithfully discharge his duties, which include defending duly enacted laws like the state's marriage amendment," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "Yet now Attorney General Herring is participating in a lawsuit against the very people he is sworn to represent, the citizens of Virginia who preserved marriage in their constitution. This malfeasance and neglect of duty is not only a disgrace, it's an impeachable offense under the constitution."

Nice try, Bri-Bri, but according to Think Progress, Herring's decision is not without precedent:

The oath of office for the Attorney General of Virginia — which Herring took earlier this month — includes a solemn vows first to “support the constitution of the United States” and second to support “the constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.” Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution makes clear that the federal constitution takes precedence over state constitutions — so when the two are in conflict, it is absolutely up to the Attorney General to make that decision. As the person duly elected to make that judgment, Herring, rather than an un-elected lobbyist or state legislators who choose to ignore the federal constitution’s supremacy, is exactly the person tasked by Virginia’s citizenry with determining which laws to defend.

Moreover, two recent Republican Attorneys General of Virginia — both Family Foundation favorites who had the support of Howell and Marshall — also made clear that they would not defend what they believed to be unconstitutional. In 2003, then-Attorney General Jerry Kilgore joined dozens of his counterparts from other states in signing a brief claiming that he was duty bound to challenge any statute he believed be unconstitutional. A year later, the Family Foundation’s Cobb donated to his gubernatorial campaign and she even served on one of his advisory boards.

Herring’s immediate predecessor, Ken Cuccinelli II, also refused to defend laws he deemed unconstitutional. Last year, one of his spokesmen noted, “If the attorney general’s analysis shows that a law is unconstitutional, he has a legal obligation to not defend it.” Indeed in 2009, Cuccinelli himself said in a debate, “I will not defend what I, in my judgment, deem to be an unconstitutional law.” “If I determine it not to be constitutional,” he explained then, “I will not defend it. My first obligation is to the Constitution and the people of Virginia.”

Don't you just love it when members of the anti-gay right throw useless tantrums. Maybe we will be lucky the next time things go our way. Perhaps Brown will threaten to hold his breath.

'NOM ally REALLY despises same-sex families' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Lopez

Robert Oscar López remains hopeful that kids of gays will grow up to resent them - Meet and familiarize yourselves with Robert Oscar Lopez. He is allegedly a bisexual man who was raised in a same-sex households. And one more thing - he absolutely DESPISES same-sex households. He isn't that well known but pretty soon he probably will be. The National Organization for Marriage and other anti-gay groups will no doubt be utilizing his "services" to the fullest in order to demonize same-sex families.

Lopez has also:

-- Equated same-sex adoption with "cultural genocide once used against blacks and Indians": "The gay community is now entirely allied to the cultural genocide practices once used against blacks and Indians, since they are determined to say that, in the words of Nancy Polikoff, genetics doesn't matter as long as an adoptive couple can sway the powers that be to award them children. It all feels new and shiny to the gay community, because to them it's a way to overcome past inequality. But they are repeating the same genocidal practices of the past."

-- Without any evidence, claimed that the late Tyler Clementi probably "had liaisons with men who were older than eighteen and committing statutory rape."

-- Slurred same-sex parents as "slavers buying children from poor surrogate mums overseas": "The testimonials from happy children of same-sex couples are obviously handpicked and staged to maximize the value of propaganda, but a gullible populace won't ask what isn't being printed or broadcast. A gullible populace prefers ingesting whatever is printed or broadcast. 'Love' is a meaningless mantra, like 'nobody is really listening to your phone calls' or "we need drones for national security purposes" out of the mouth of Obama; but in a country where people are swayed by Obama's silky voice, why would people not be swayed by gay couples saying, 'we aren't slavers buying children from poor surrogate mums overseas, we love our kids'?

In other news: 

Harvey: 'Gays Are All Closeted Heterosexuals' - Girlfriend, have I got news for you . . .  

Nigeria: Thousands of protesters throw stones into court urging executions of gay men - Simply barbaric! 

Indiana GOP Leader Moves Failing Marriage Equality Ban To More Conservative Committee (UPDATE) - Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt do underhanded sneaky stuff when you can't get your way through fair means.  

"Transgender Dysphoria Blues" Is Proof That Rock Still Matters - Love this post!

Virginia attorney general will fight against marriage equality ban

Herring

In Virginia comes a reminder to the lgbt community how important it is to vote.  Just a year ago,  state officials were hostile to the idea of marriage equality.  After last year's election in which Democrats swept into high office, a new administration is embracing the idea. This includes a new attorney general who has publicly vowed to fight the anti-marriage equality law.

From the Washington Post:

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring will announce Thursday that he believes the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and that Virginia will join two same-sex couples in asking a federal court to strike it down, according to an official close to the attorney general with knowledge about the decision.

The action will mark a stunning reversal in the state’s legal position on same-sex marriage and is a result of November elections in which Democrats swept the state’s top offices. Herring’s predecessor, Republican Ken Cuccinelli II, adamantly opposes gay marriage and had vowed to defend Virginia’s constitutional amendment banning such unions, which was passed in 2006 with the support of 57 percent of voters.

No doubt anti-gay groups aren't exactly happy over this news and we will be hearing their nonsense momentarily.

Matt Barber wishes America would pass laws against the lgbt community

No matter how many times anti-gay groups and their spokespeople express desires for it it, what's happening to the lgbt community in Russia isn't going to happen to us here in America.

But it's still a drag to hear them make such a wish:

"(Homosexuality) is a very dangerous lifestyle that countries like Russia are, in addition to reestablishing and saying no, marriage is what it's always been, they're saying additionally we are going to stop this homosexual activist propaganda from corrupting children in our nation and we need to see that right here in the United States." - Matt Barber of the Liberty Counsel and "dean" at Liberty University
  
Related post - If Matt Barber hates gay sex so much, then why does he keep talking about it?

'Fox News silent on anti-gay abuses, laws in foreign countries' & other Wednesday midday news briefs

REPORT: Fox News Silent On Anti-Gay Human Rights Crises - It's relatively easy for us to be blase about Fox News' lack of journalistic integrity but something like this goes beyond the pale. Coupled with the fact that Fox News also gives anti-gay group leaders wide berths in unchallenged interviews and is the home of a propaganda artist who constantly spins lies about anti-Christian persecution (Todd Starnes), I take solace in how this network will be remembered by future generations. It won't be a good legacy to have.

New Online Safe Space for Kids with LGBTQ Parents - Excellent idea for a blog meets the needs of a group the anti-gay right will ignore and our groups don't mention enough. 

 Nevada Conservatives To Ninth Circuit: Marriage Equality Is Just Like White Supremacy - You have to admit that this is one hell of a bull@%$! argument against marriage equality.  

Utah Gay Couple Seeking Parenting Rights Joins Lawsuit Against State - Even better. 

 Hiding behind the 'hate' label - A lesson on rhetoric. When anti-gay groups and their supporters say that they don't "hate" lgbts, we need to remind them that we don't care whether they do or don't. It's not about hatred, but their ignorance and their false sense of entitlement in that they feel they are entitled to dictate what makes a family or how they flaunt their deliberate ignorance about lgbt lives and expect not to be called on it.

Anti-gay legislator Sally Kern's rhetoric can't get her over in debate

Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern is infamous for her anti-gay statements, including saying that lgbts are more dangerous than terrorist, claiming that we are destroying the nation, and recently saying that homosexuality is a "civil wrong."

All in all, she represents the danger of someone who reads and processes anti-gay propaganda. However in a recent debate on News Channel 4′s Flashpoint, Scott Hamilton, Executive Director of the Cimarron Alliance Equality Center, demonstrated what happens when we match such nonsense with intelligence instead of cries of "bigot."

Hat tip to Truth Wins Out.

50 African-American lgbts of color you NEED to be aware of

The lgbt identity is a multicultural, multi-ethnic, multinational identity. It's not just about Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, or LOGO. Nor is it just about Stonewall, New York, California, or ACT-UP. LGBT history is so diversified, so dynamic, and so embedded in the history of the world that I get angry when I realize how sometimes the community gets so fixated on one thing that we forget the full richness that our people have brought to the world. So do yourself a favor. After watching this video, do some research on the lives of these lgbts of color.

'Bakery found to have discriminated against same-sex couple' & other Tuesday midday news briefs

Oregon Bakery Found To Have Unlawfully Discriminated Against Same-Sex Couple - Secular businesses have no business discriminating against customers. Religious beliefs have no bearing on secular businesses because that way, you can pull the "religious beliefs" argument to justify so many forms of discrimination.

Glenn Beck: If you hate gays, you 'have no place calling yourself a fan of mine' - Except if your name is David Barton, Rabbi Daniel Lappin, etc., etc.

 An Open Letter: From a Gay, to America - PREACH! It's how I feel a lot of times. 

 Six Couples File Suit Challenging Florida's Gay Marriage Ban - Boom! I love this!  

Here's Why The Idea Of 'Traditional Marriage' Is Total Bullsh*t - Not a headline I like but the article is very appropriate.  

Bill to Ban ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy on Minors Formally Announced In Virginia - Way go to, New Jersey!

Peter LaBarbera tries to claim that Martin Luther King, Jr was anti-gay

After two posts fantasizing writing about gay sex, anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera has switched to a different tone, one a bit more insulting:

I saw this on Twitter tonight. The conservative news site Hawaii Free Press identifies the Ebony issue in which this advice column by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared as January 1958.  HFP, citing CNN, offers the full Q &A with King, which we have reprinted under the graphic. – Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH:

 

I would caution my lgbt brothers and sisters to use discretion AND their intellects before getting their tempers up and saying things from the hip.

For one, remember this was a different time in America and King died before the lgbt movement for equality was in full swing. He was assassinated before Stonewall  and also before the American Psychiatric Association declared homosexuality not to be a mental illness.

And even if you want to discount that, remember this is Peter LaBarbera we are talking about. Like so many other anti-gay activists, once he gets something he can construe to be against homosexuality, he will exploit it without taking the time to see the big picture.

And if one would take a look at the 2012 CNN article, one would see that there is a lot more to the story of King's column:

The CNN article said that this was the only time King spoke about the morality of homosexuality. However, his feelings about lgbt equality wasn't known. That's interesting in light of the fact that one of his closest allies at the time, Bayard Rustin - the man who organized the 1963 March on Washington - was openly gay.

And speaking of MLK and Rustin, the article goes into long detail about the relationship between the two and how King resisted calls to dismiss Rustin from the 1963 March on Washington because of his sexual orientation.

Lastly, keep this in mind from the CNN article:

Ravi Perry, a political science professor at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, said King’s widow once said in a public speech that everyone who believed in her husband’s dream should “make room at the table of brother and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.”

There is no private or public record of King condemning gay people, Perry says. Even the FBI’s surveillance of King’s private phone conversations didn’t turn up any moment where King disparaged gay people, she says.“If Dr. King were anti-gay, there would likely be a sermon, a speech, a recording of some kind indicating such,” she says. “And knowing how closely his phones were tapped; surely there would be a record of such statements.”

King was more than a  civil rights leader. He was more than just a man who made a "I Have  A Dream" speech. He was a trailblazer who stood up for simple right and wrong no matter the consequences. A lot of folks don't remember that King was one of the first prominent leaders to speak against the war in Vietnam. He lost a lot of popularity for it but stood his ground because he recognized the futility of that war.

And I have a feeling that if King had been alive during the birth of the modern lgbt equality movement, he would have been recognized the inherent goodness of our cause - to have ourselves and our families be treated equally under the law - and would have spoken in favor of our cause. 

Anti-gay group exploits MLK holiday with bogus, bought-and-paid for black leaders

Based upon this blog post gleaned by Goodasyou's Jeremy Hooper, it's obvious why anti-gay groups like the National Organization for Marriage are always accusing the lgbt community of exploiting the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

It diverts attention away from when THEY exploit it. In this blog post, NOM conveniently omits the fact that two of the pastors listed - Bill Owens and Harry Jackson are "bought-and-paid for. Bill Owens and his wife Deborah received $20,000 from NOM while Harry Jackson also received $20,000 as well as other monies funneled to a DC organization he led. And of course NOM omitted any talk of its cynical strategy of creating a division between the black and lgbt community.

And the sad irony? In spite of all Owens said about being involved in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, those genuinely involved in the movement have called into question claims about his actual involvement. However, it was discovered that Owens has several ties to Republican and right-wing organizations.

Lastly, I would lose all of my gay points if I did not point out that the event NOM especially exploits, the 1963 March on Washington, was planned, coordinated, and executed by an openly gay black man -  Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Bayard Rustin (Editor's note - damn, those last seven words felt so good to write!)

According to Hooper, NOM eliminated this post and who can blame the organization? It has to be most tasteless exploitation of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday holiday known to man - and I don't mean that as a euphemism.

Know Your LGBT History - That Certain Summer

That Certain Summer (1972), an ABC Movie of the Week, has been called the first one of the first movies to deal with homosexuality with a sympathetic tone.

From Wikipedia:

Divorced San Francisco contractor Doug Salter is looking forward to a summer visit from his fourteen-year-old son Nick, who lives in Los Angeles with his mother Janet. What the boy doesn't know is that his father is gay and committed to Gary McClain, his life partner of several years, who opts to move out temporarily in order to keep Nick's possible suspicions at bay. When he finds evidence of his father's secret life, the teen — filled with shame and disgust — runs away. Once reunited with his son, Doug attempts to explain his sexual orientation to him, with decidedly mixed results.

Seeing that it was 1972 when it premiered, I found the movie to be highly dated, particularly the stilted way Holbrook explains his homosexuality to his son. That Certain Summer received a lot of critical acclaim and nominated for seven Emmys. However, it only won one of the nominations (Jacoby for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama). In 1998, That Certain Summer received a Producer Guild of America Hall of Fame Award.

Those interested in this movie can view it on youtube .

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Post about black gay fathers and their children goes super viral' and other Friday midday news briefs

The story of this family's photo has gone super viral!

Kordale And Kaleb, Gay Black Fathers, Respond To Twitter Outrage Over Instagram Photos - The story I posted about the two gay black fathers yesterday has exploded and gone super viral. Today, the couple issues a statement to the Huffington Post and included more pictures of their adorable family. I say good! We need to see more gay black fathers in the media.  It amazes me how this story has caused such a reaction. I think it hit so many nerves for a lot of folks in terms of race, gender, and of course sexual orientation. And let's not forget that it totally annihilated the negative religious right lie about same-sex families.

25 Beautiful Photos Of Queer Men Of Color That Will Make You Believe In Love Again - And speaking of lgbt men of color couples . . .  

'Duck Dynasty' Ratings Are Down Dramatically From Last Season - I'm not necessarily gloating here. Just pointing out how the religious right tends to overreact when they have a victory. When this controversy died last year, anti-gay organizations and spokespeople practically stood on mountaintops proclaiming the so-called "end of gay bullying" and a backlash to the push for lgbt equality. That backlash died real quick-like.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Opposes Anti-Gay Bill - Don't start celebrating. He doesn't exactly do us any favors when he talks about why he doesn't support that awful bill.  

How Marriage Equality Opponents’ Three National Strategies All Contradict Each Other - As if these folks care.

Anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera goes overboard talking about 'gay sex' (again)

LaBarbera

Peter LaBarbera's penchant for vulgar talk  and pictures disguised as giving the "truth" about the lgbt community at times exhaust the hell out of me.

Most of the time, I laugh his homophobia off. Other times, I take the role of a parent chastizing an ignorant child.

This is the time where I feel like the latter. He posted the following on his webpage today:

Warning: Homosexual Perversion Described

AFTAH has cited this quote before by homosexual writer Jack Hart. Here it is in a stand-alone post for easy searching on the web. From his book Gay Sex: A Manual for Men who Love Men [a future pose will reprint Hart's entry on "rimming"]:

“Sexually Transmitted Disease

“(An illness commonly spread by sexual activity also known as STD, venereal disease, or VD.)

“Many sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) occur more often among gay men than in the general population. Several factors contribute to this difference: Gay men have the opportunity to engage in sex with more people than do most heterosexual men, and some practices common among gays–especially rimming [oral-anal perversion*] and anal intercourse–are highly efficient ways of transmitting disease….”

__________________

*Hart describes “rimming” in his item on this repulsive homosexual sex act as follows: “Orally stimulating, exploring, and massaging a partner’s anus with the tongue, scientifically known as anilingus.” AFTAH will post his full (and horrifying) entry on “Rimming” shortly.

Source: Hart, Jack, Gay Sex: A Manual for Men who Love Men (Revised & Updated, Second edition, October 1998). Published by Alyson Books (Los Angeles, New York), pages 194, 212-213.

I am so sure that LaBarbera will go into much "detail" about the practice of "rimming." However, here is something he won't tell you.

That practice is not a sex act done by gay men alone. LaBarbera won't tell you that "rimming" is a sex act performed by heterosexuals.

And he won't tell you that there is even a heterosexual genre in porn devoted to it. You can see the titles here and here.  (Editor's note - The links I include merely contains title names and not any pictures. However, during my research, I did run into a heterosexual paysite which includes pictures - and I'm not even going to talk about the salad dressing. I only provided a link to it for perpetuity. I wouldn't click on it if I were you.)

Geez, Peter. Where will it end?  Doctored pictures of gay Congressmen, huge pictures of STDs (see this link on LaBarbera's webpage at your own risk), and now it has come to this - attacking gay men for a sex act which is also done by heterosexuals. 

I find it ironically hilarious that this man has at times cast the lgbt community as "intolerant bullies" out to supposedly silence Christians. LaBarbera claims that we are the "real haters" because we won't allow him to get away with attacks on us.

 LaBarbera swishes back and forth between offering up Biblical verses about the so-called sin of homosexuality to posting lurid pictures and descriptions of alleged gay sexual acts with the fervor of a Venus and Serena Williams tennis match.

And he claims that he does this because he "loves" us.

Who the hell is he trying to kid?

However, even as we are justified in poking fun at LaBarbera, we can't forget the semantics behind what he is doing. It's a crude, unsophisticated version of the attacks launched on our community by organizations such as the Family Research Council or the National Organization for Marriage, i.e. keep actual information about lgbts out of the picture while pushing awfully lurid images into the minds of those not familiar with who we are.

The methods of these organizations are a bit more high-brow than that of LaBarbera, but in the end, it's all the same thing.

A reliance on fear and ignorance shielded by a false sense of Christian entitlement.

SC legislator files bill letting gay couples file joint tax returns

Rutherford

With nationwide momentum moving towards marriage equality, you really don't expect us folks in South Carolina to be left out, do you:

State Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, has filed a bill -- H.4461 -- that would allow legally married same-sex couples file joint state tax returns.

Same-sex marriage is illegal in South Carolina. But it is legal in 16 states and the District of Columbia. And the federal government officially recognizes those marriages even if they live in a state -- like South Carolina -- where gay marriage is illegal, allowing them to file joint federal tax returns.

The state Department of Revenue has proposed a rule that would require legally married same-sex couples in South Carolina to file separate state tax returns.

"Requiring legally married same-sex couples to file excess paperwork and additional tax forms is not only discriminatory, but it is a waste of time and tax dollars," Rutherford said in a news release. "By putting this additional burden on legally married couples, the state of South Carolina is intentionally creating bureaucratic red tape for political purposes. It simply isn't right and it is our responsibility to change this discriminatory policy."

Rutherford also filed a bill -- H.4460 -- that would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would repeal South Carolina's same-sex marriage ban. Voters overwhelmingly approved the same-sex marriage ban in 2006.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/01/16/3210593/state-house-rep-todd-rutherford.html#storylink=cpy

'Photo of gay black couple & their children causes twitter freakout' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Photo of black gay couple getting their kids ready for school caused twitter freakout.

Photo of black gay fathers causes Black Twitter to overreact. But why? - A photo of a black gay couple getting their children ready for school apparently caused some black folks on twitter to overreact. Now before you all start about "homophobia in the black community," please be advised that it's rare to see this sort of thing in the lgbt community in general. I mean I adore seeing pictures of Neil Patrick Harris's family but let's diversify a bit. The overreaction is probably partly due to homophobia and partly due to the unfortunate invisibility of lgbts of color in both the black and gay communities. And just whose fault is that? 

Churches campaign against possible fairness ordinance in Danville - And the lies never die.

 Arizona Lawmaker Proposes Religious ‘License To Discriminate’ Against LGBT People - Here we go again.
 
Publix Ordered to Pay Cake Decorator $100,000 for Firing Him Because He's Gay - Publix's explanation for the firing sounded shady to me too.  

Family Research Council now agrees: Gay couples form loving relationships - The miracle of the day, with a caveat of course.  

Sally Kern Slams Oklahoma Gay Marriage Ruling: 'Homosexuality Is Not A Civil Right' - Poor Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern. She is all upset that an Oklahoma judge has ruled for marriage equality.

Throwback Thursday - NOM's plan to create tensions between black and gay communities

Unfortunately, some of us in the lgbt community have a habit of forgetting certain things. The phrase "out of sight, out of mind" applies greatly to many of us, but there are some things we must never forget. Remember how the National Organization for Marriage attempted to play the black and gay communities against one another:

'Congressman: Judges who rule for marriage equality need plumbing lessons' & other Wednesday news briefs

Louie Gohmert Says Judges Legalizing Gay Marriage 'Need Some Basic Plumbing Lessons'- What can I say? Rep. Louie Gohmert needs help.

Fox's Ablow: There's No Such Thing As Being Transgender - And Fox News continues to bash our transgender brothers and sisters. 

 Conserva-favorite pastor: POTUS is basically the Anti-Christ's warmup act - Only a religious right pastor can intertwine President Obama, marriage equality, and the Anti-Christ. 

  Ex-Gay Activist: US Will Become The 'Land Of The Free' Once We Criminalize Homosexuality - When NOM failed to include the anti-gay D.L. Foster in its strategy to plant a wedge between the black and gay communities, it really missed the boat.

Sean Hannity once helped to push propaganda about gays, gerbils, and bodily wastes

Hannity

Sean Hannity is one of the personalities on Fox News aiding religious right groups push the false talking point that the lgbt community is intolerant of "other view points" and want to silence people.

Based on an interestingly nauseating incident which took place in 1989, Hannity should really know better. Decades before he was a bombastic, fact-free pseudo news personality, he was a shock jock who got fired from a California college radio station due to a interview which has to be heard (complete with a barf bag) to be believed. According to Media Matters:

Before becoming a prominent Fox News personality, Sean Hannity was fired from a local radio show for peddling a number of extremely disparaging smears about gay people, including the myth that gay men are prone to disease because they consume each other's feces during sex.

In his new book The Loudest Voice in the Room, New York magazine journalist Gabriel Sherman describes the start of Sean Hannity's career as a conservative radio personality, beginning with an hour-long morning call-in show at KCSB, the UC Santa Barbara college station. The short-lived show was canceled in 1989 after Hannity made a number of extreme anti-gay remarks during a segment featuring Gene Antonio, author of the book The AIDS Cover-up? The Real and Alarming Facts About AIDS. According to Sherman:

In April 1989, Hannity invited the virulent anti-gay activist Gene Antonio on the air to promote his already widely discredited book, The AIDS Cover-up? The Real and Alarming Facts About AIDS. A Lutheran minister without scientific training, Antonio peddled paranoid fictions about the epidemic. He wrote that the virus could be transmitted by sneezes and mosquito bites and that the Centers for Disease Control and the American Medical Association conspired to cover up the "truth."

At the opening of his hour-long interview, Hannity said: "I'm sick and tired of the media and the homosexual community preventing us from getting the true, accurate information about AIDS in this day." He went on to describe The AIDS Cover-up? as an "excellent book" that was "so full of facts" and added, "if you want the real truth about this deadly, deadly disease, he's not afraid to say what the homosexuals don't want you to hear." He gave his audience Antonio's mailing address, where they could order "autographed copies" and write to find out about "places where homosexuals can go for help if they want to change." [The Loudest Voice in the Room, pg 239] 

Oh yes he did. The following transcript provides just snippets of the interview in which Hannity and Antonio spread nauseating propaganda about the lgbt community (Editor's note - to hear the audio, go here).

ANTONIO: [T]hey have had meetings, literally, of the SPCA, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Dallas and elsewhere around the country, because these homosexuals were cutting the claws off of gerbils, and prying their teeth out, and stuffing them up their rectums. It's called gerbil stuffing. 

HANNITY: Oh, my God.

CALLER: I believe you. They're getting sick with it. Crazy.

ANTONIO: It's just this perversion. They don't know what to do. They're frantic in the search for a substitute woman. They put fists up the rectum.
[...]

HANNITY: And then they wonder why they have so many diseases, you know? I don't understand it. But they won't let you say that they have a disease. They won't let you say it's a gay disease and they won't let you examine the practices that have caused them, making them so susceptible to these diseases. [KCSB, 4/4/89, emphasis added]

Lindsey Graham's challenger talks about impeaching federal judges over marriage equality

Lee Bright

It is known in South Carolina that Senator Lindsey Graham isn't exactly the lgbt community's best friend. It is also known that there is supposedly something more to that but my mother taught me to never pass around rumors.

Graham has been in danger of being primaried by the tea party for the longest time and I could almost care less. I say almost because one of the Republicans who is challenging him, SC State Sen. Lee Bright doesn't necessarily sound so bright. In fact, in this clip, when he talks about impeaching federal judges simply for ruling in ways that folks like him don't like (such as the Utah judge who recently ruled FOR marriage equality), he sounds downright spooky.
Never thought I would see that day in which I was actually rooting for Lindsey Graham:




I won't even talk about what he said about allowing teachers to have machine guns.

 Hat tip to Right Wing Watch

Group supports anti-gay laws while speaking against anti-Christian persecution

Brian Brown

Courtesy of Jeremy Hooper of GLAAD comes the news that NOM President Brian Brown has joined, CitizenGO, an international group dedicated to spreading anti-gay animus across the world:

CitizenGO, which is based in Madrid (where Brian recently delivered a speech), is essentially a petitioning platform focused on global issues. In addition to considerable focus on marriage inequality, CitizenGO also promotes and/or directs campaigns in support of speakers who claim that "homosexual activists have played a integral role in the rise of Fascist politics, including Nazism," against the World Health Organization's supposed "promotion" of homosexuality, against Canadian pride parades, and much more.

Hooper even points out that CitizenGo was one of the organizations who endorsed the laws against alleged "gay propaganda" in Russia, laws which have led to widespread violence and other forms of persecution against Russia's lgbt community.

As vile enough as that is, here is something a bit more stomach churning. If one were to go to CitizenGo's twitter address, one would see several tweets speaking against the persecution of Christians in foreign countries, as well as pictures like such:

Britain Urged To Withhold Aid To The Countries That Persecute #Christians http://t.co/4zLTXOj9Jo @Pakchristians pic.twitter.com/w6EaKwl3q6
— CitizenGO (@CitizenGO) January 14, 2014

Where is the consistency or integrity? How can a group who supports or minimizes the persecution of one group stand against the persecution of another.

Since when do supposed Christian groups make a pecking order out of  who deserves dignity, respect, and safety?

'American 'Christian' groups supported Nigerian anti-gay persecution laws' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

Dozens arrested for being gay in north Nigeria - Guess who we have to thank for this persecution in Nigeria? One guess. 

US Conservative Groups Supported Nigerian Anti-Gay Law That Led to Wave of Arrests - Those so-called "morality, pro-family" groups and spokespeople in America. So now it's not just anti-gay propaganda they are hiding behind "deeply held religious beliefs." They are hiding persecution behind it, too. Of course they haven't commented about the arrests. Must be too busy talking about 'Duck Dynasty.'  

Does NOM really believe its 'once and for all' silliness? - Meanwhile, NOM is rocked by so many losses on the marriage equality front that the organization is fooling itself to think that a federal anti-gay marriage amendment can pass.

  These Grandfathers Getting Married Might Just Make You Well Up - This moving story makes sure that all is not doom and gloom in today's news briefs.  

Maine AG says state will recognize Utah same-sex marriages - Excellent!

  Michigan's Foremost Anti-Gay Republican Just Had A Very Hateful Week On Facebook - In which we find out the answer to the question just how anti-gay do you have to be to make your fellow Republicans sick of you.

Twelve-year-old defends marriage equality, his family

When members of organizations such as the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage and others who oppose marriage equality begin their talking point tangents about how supposedly "the most optimum home for a child is that with a mother and a father," they always conveniently forget that lgbts are already raising children and are doing it quite well.

Twelve-year-old Riley Hackford-Peer reminds not only them, but all of us about that simple fact.

From the Huffington Post:

A 12-year-old boy is reminding us this week of the true meaning of marriage and family. Standing before a boisterous crowd of marriage equality supporters inside the state capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Riley Hackford-Peer spoke about his experiences as a child of gay parents and the love they've shown him and his younger brother through the years. "I'm here today to talk about love, family and equal rights," Hackford-Peer told the cheering crowd. "Some people do not believe that I'm from a loving family because my moms are gay -- they are wrong. I love my moms, and my moms love me and my brother, unconditionally." 

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins loves spreading manure, I mean love to the lgbt community

The Family Research Council's Tony Perkins will have folks to believe that he and his organization stands against lgbt equality because they are filled with so much love for us that they want to tell us "the truth." Take a listen to what Perkins' definition of "love" entails:

Caller: At the beginning of your show, I suppose it was a rhetorical question about what’s driving this administration. Well, simple explanation. If it’s not of God, it’s of the Devil; and you can certainly tell that the Obama administration is not of God. How can they expect any kind of peace with crazy stuff going on with any kind of certainty of working things out when you have a Muslim leader of a country over here per se trying to work things out between the Jewish people and Muslims and stuff, you know how can they expect it not to go the way they want it to? One of my things about the gay and lesbian stuff. I have a non-biblical way to try to get the attention would be to ask those people that practice that lifestyle if it were not for physical relationship, intimacy between a man and a woman, how could they exist?  

Perkins: Basic biology. You’re absolutely right. That’s why if you think about it, its logical conclusion would be if it were normal it would be extinct, the human race would be extinct within time if it were normal. So you’re right. Biology says the only we exist as human beings is that a man and a woman come together and we procreate. That’s the reason that government has long recognize marriage is because it is the place in which children are born.

Perkins leads a multi-million dollar organization with influence in Washington (we have to seriously talk about that one, God) yet he gives an explanation to oppose lgbt equality that ranks down there with two male college roommates engaged in a discussion three o'clock in the morning five minutes after they have finished off the year old-tequila they had stashed away and two minutes before they begin giving each other neck hickies.

Tony, if I wanted love like you are dispensing, I would have my pastor pistol whip me at church in lieu of a sermon.

'Indiana governor to address anti-marriage equality group' and other Monday midday news briefs

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence To Address Anti-Gay Marriage Group -. No doubt Pence thinks he is following his "Christian duty" by opposing marriage equality Just like he probably felt it was his "Christian duty" to use doctored videos in an attempt to stop funding of Planned Parenthood when he was a Congressman. No offense, but this country would be better off without "Christians" like Pence as one of our leaders.

After 19 Months In Men’s Prison, CeCe McDonald Released - Sweet! She shouldn't have been in jail in the first place. She was only defending herself against a transphobic attack. 

Eighty percent of congregation quits after Indiana church forces out gay choir director - Decent Christianity at work. Please take note, Mike Pence.

Nigeria: President signs law banning same-sex marriage and civil unions - Simply hideous.

 Creationists Offer Advice On Fighting 'The Homosexual War' - Please, please keep that advice to yourselves!

'Porno Pete' LaBarbera tries to have it both ways with CDC health data on gay men

LaBarbera

On his webpage, Peter LaBarbera is exploiting a Centers for Disease Control Fact Sheet to demonize the lgbt community:

A new fact sheet put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a “troubling rise in syphilis infections among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).” The federal health agency reports that MSM “account for three quarters (75 percent) of all primary and secondary syphilis cases.” The CDC Fact Sheet, “Reported STDs in the United States: 2012 Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis,” states: 

 “Trend data show that men who have sex with men (MSM)* account for three quarters (75 percent) of all primary and secondary syphilis cases. Primary and secondary syphilis are the most infectious stages of the disease, and if not adequately treated, can lead to visual impairment and stroke. Syphilis infection can also place a person at increased risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. Surveillance data from several major cities throughout the country indicate that an average of four in 10 MSM with syphilis are also infected with HIV.”  

 The CDC reports an 11.1 percent rise in primary and secondary cases of syphilis from 2011 to 2012, with 15,667 reported cases in 2012. It states that the “rate increase was solely among men, particularly gay and bisexual men.”

Now when anti-gay activists such as LaBarbera cite CDC data, they generally cherry-pick the data, making a big deal about the numbers but also omitting that the CDC has also pointed out how homophobia can play a part in these STD rates. This time, LaBarbera actually cites the CDC when it comes to homophobia, but with his own caveats:

As is typically the case, the (very pro-homosexual) CDC cites factors like “homophobia” and “stigma” to attempt to explain the high homosexual syphilis rates. The Fact Sheet states: 

“Although a number of individual risk behaviors (such as higher numbers of lifetime sex partners or unprotected sex) contribute to disparities in the sexual health of MSM, other social and cultural factors may also play a role. For example, MSM with lower economic status may have limited access to health care and therefore may be particularly vulnerable to poorer health outcomes compared to other men. Complex issues like homophobia and stigma can also make it difficult for gay and bisexual men to seek appropriate care and treatment.”

LaBarbera probably considers this mention a way to for him to say "see, I am not cherry-picking." However, I think it illuminates his homophobia even  more. His snide remark about the CDC being "pro homosexual" is mind-boggling in its stupidity. The CDC doesn't show favoritism towards any group whose health issues it points out. The CDC is an objective organization which works to give the most accurate answers to health issues facing this country.

When you strip away that bull@! explanation LaBarbera attempts to throw at the CDC, you are left with a man attempting to walk a tightrope of logic, or lack thereof. He freely cites information to blame lgbts for bad health issues while at the same time admitting that the source of his information (the CDC) totally disagrees with his rational.

In other words, there is no need for anyone to point out LaBarbera's lack of integrity in doing this. And there definitely is no need to say that LaBarbera is a clueless, lying homophobe for his bad citation of CDC data.

LaBarbera is freely performing both of these tasks himself.

Thank you, Peter. I knew that sooner or later, you would see things our way.